The Fire of Moshiach

By Rabbi Lazer Brody

The editorial page of Breslev Israel's English website

Welcome to Breslev Israel. When I say welcome, I mean that you are truly welcome, whether you're Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Chassidic, Sephardi, Litvish, or non-affiliated. Even if you're not Jewish at all, we're happy to greet you with a big Breslever smile – welcome, dear friend.

Jewish lore says that when Moshiach will come, everybody will claim him: The Chassidim will say, "He's ours!" The Sephardim will proclaim, "He's one of us!" The Lithuanian Jews will declare, "Can't you see that Moshiach is ours?" And so forth…

Everyone will be right. Moshiach is a kaleidoscope of many shapes and colors. Each of us will be able to relate to Moshiach, for as the tzaddik of all generations, he reflects the light of all of our souls. As such, we all see ourselves – and who we strive to be – within Moshiach.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev said, "My fire shall burn until the coming of Moshiach." Rebbe Nachman is thereby revealing that his teachings reflect the light of Moshiach. This explains how we see such a growing assortment of people each year in Uman, when Breslever Chassidim gather together to observe Rosh Hashanna by Rebbe Nachman's holy gravesite. Uman is probably the only place in the world where you can see Ashkenazi Chassidim with their shtreimel fur hats and knee-high white socks praying alongside Yemenite Chassidim in their traditional garb. Among the Chassidim are spiritual newcomers with earrings in their ears – and in their noses. It's also not uncommon to see men with tattooed bodies in the mikva, performing a purifying ritual immersion as part of their spiritual journey home in seeking their Jewish roots. Rebbe Nachman welcomes each and every one; we here at Breslev Israel, as the pupils of Rebbe Nachman, do so as well. ...more